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McCain Wouldn’t Answer That Phone Call Dig

By Michael Cooper March 4, 2008 2:10 pmMarch 4, 2008 2:10 pm

John McCain in Houston. (Photo: Doug Mills/ The New York Times)

HOUSTON — When Senator John McCain’s campaign stopped here Tuesday afternoon to conduct a town-hall-style meeting at a western-themed saloon, there was a new twist on Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s famous “3 a.m. phone call” commercial – the one about who is best prepared to field emergency calls at the White House.

It happened a little while after Cindy McCain told the crowd here at Goode’s Armadillo Palace that she thought her husband would be the best-prepared to field “that 3 a.m. phone call.’’ Then, when the event was thrown open to questions on a wide range of topics, a man in the audience took the microphone to offer his own observations.

“I just wanted to observe, when you mentioned the 3 o’clock phone call, that unlike other candidates in the race, if Cindy answers the phone she won’t be wondering where her husband is,’’ the man said to laughter and cheers.

Mr. McCain immediately moved to disassociate himself from the joke.

“Please let me say sir, that Americans want us to have a respectful campaign,’’ he said, to applause. “I respect Senator Clinton, I respect Senator Obama, and I don’t associate myself, even though it was meant in humor, and I want to assure you that what they will have, and what they want, is a respectful campaign.’’

How can we tell whether this is calculating on his part or not? I want to trust him, but lobyists are running his campaign for free. How can I trust that they’re not going to come back for favors down the line in exchange for their services? It just makes me question everything about him.

That was classy. That’s the second time he’s silenced negative character attacks from his supporters. I don’t plan to vote for him, but I respect his integrity in this regard. I hope he keeps it up through the general election. Clinton would be leading if she had ran her campaign this way, and I probably would have caucused for her.

mccain’s advisers have clearly laid out a strategy that calls for stepping very carefully around any topic impugning obama’s morality without substantial evidence to avoid the change of racism. so don’t be too impressed by his ‘honor’. if he was truly committed to speak-no-evil he wouldn’t have made that incredibly hurtful joke about ‘chelsea clinton being so ugly because janet reno is her father.’ his ‘honor-first’ stance is strictly political expediency. don’t be taken in.

How is McCain’s absolute no-brainer political move (choosing not to take the sex-joke bait and not riffing on it) even worth noting, much less admiring? Would any half competent politician join in on a public joke about a candidate’s spouse’s sex life? If this is our ‘dignity litmus test’, we have awfully low standards!

Hey, I hear Huckabee can keep a straight face on the odd occasion when the word ‘penis’ comes up in the Governor’s chambers. Maybe HE’S got the right stuff!

Even if it is imperfect, the efforts of the remaining candidates to take the high road is long overdue. It is the first thing that has given me an optimistic thought about politics in decades.

I think that the one least able to resist tried-and-true practices of the ‘less high’ road is Sen. Clinton, and I think that is what makes it easy For Sen. Obama to dismiss her as part of the ‘old way’ – one of the principal drags on her campaign.

Yup, low-hanging fruit for McCain there. Didn’t he hire the architects of Bush’s 2000 South Carolina smear campaign against him? McCain is ready to play rough when and if he has to; but he’ll play the white hat as long as he can.

Mccain still wil, and should attack the other candidates on their records. HRC has been doing just that. If you think that isn’t fair game and the way to look at potential president then I fear for this country.

Maybe he is finally getting the hang of this campaigning thing. However, I will always remember his failure to turn aside the woman who called Hillary Clinton a rude name. He just stood there laughing with all the other oafs. Watching him just stand there laughing, at such rudeness and sexism, made me realize that McCain, despite some good qualities, lacks the diplomatic skills we so sorely need in our Presidents.

I’m an Obama supporter and all of us who don’t appreciate that ad or Hillary’s tactics have been making that joke since the ad aired, so I’d expect McCain’s supporters to do the same, especially because Republicans aren’t witty “Daily Show” types and probably couldn’t come up with any new material on their own.

McCain is wise to distance himself from that, but it’s also a no-brainer. And let’s face it, politics aren’t harmonious and we’re all thinking of mean jokes in response to those we don’t particularly care for. However, Clinton bashing is a Republican pastime and now a new sport to half of the Democratic party that doesn’t like her.

Mr. McCain plays his game by the book. He needs a “civilized” campaign. This type of offer is meaningless without control over his “irregulars”.

The validity of the common wisdom that Republicans prefer to fight against Mr. Obama has been demonstrated in the last 10 days. They cannot fight her publicly on the woman issue – Mr. McCain live in a huge glass house on this one. And the commander-in-chief issue will be decided soon, if not decided yet.

Mr. McCain needs a program. Otherwise he risks being viewed as gentlemanly dancing around inexisting issues.

I think McCain’s first wife wondered where he was at 3am quite often. Its a good idea for McCain to act classy seeing as how he’s the only candidate who has admitted to marital infidelity. Character counts, I remember hearing that a lot in the 1990s.

It’s a good idea for McCain to act classy seeing as how he’s the only candidate who has admitted to marital infidelity. Character counts, I remember hearing that a lot in the 1990s.

— Posted by Vincent F

One gets slowly but surely to an age where marital infidelity is less likely. Let bygones be bygones. Nobody should give too much credence to what former spouses say about each other, both genders included. Not that reliable evidence.

Is it only me .. but does there seem to be a little pattern emerging in the McCain campaign, where someone (here his wife!) insults the Democatic candidates and then the fine upstanding John McCain disavows the remarks? Hmmmmm, how many more times can he do this and NOT get called on it? Will President McCain be disavowing remarks by his cabinet? It’s either poor management on his part or a wiley campaign strategy … either way, it’s almost a trend.

I was at Goode’s for this event today, and FYI, Cindy did not insult any of the opposing candidates. She merely said McCain was the best prepared to answer that red phone. Hence, your ‘theory’ is completely off, but nice try. I think all of you crazy libs are just green with envy that you are still struggling to choose between a delusional, inexperienced senator and a woman with absolutely no principles or valuable experience. I mean, either one will leave your party screwed because ultimately, America will not elect someone who will withdraw from Iraq and bring another terrorist attack home.

McCain is where he is, because of religious bigotry. He can thank Huckabee for the…I am a Christian leader…the speech that was the downfall of Romney in Iowa, where Romney was leading all candidates by double digits.

If McCain wins the White House on racial bigotry, it will send all of us back to a time of unashamed bias and distrust of our fellow Americans.

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